Sandbach School to be fenced in

Cheshire East planners approved the school’s bid to improve the Ofsted recommended safeguarding measures at a meeting on December 2

by Nathan Sandhu

12:44, 17 Dec 2015

Sandbach School

Construction of a controversial 1,000 metre long fence around Sandbach School starts in January.

Cheshire East planners approved the school’s bid to improve the Ofsted recommended safeguarding measures at a meeting on December 2.

The fence will be 8ft high across the front of the school and 6ft high around its perimeter. There will also be gates in key locations to ensure students and visitors can access the site.

Sandbach Town Council say they still have ‘reservations’ about the proposal but the school have done enough to mitigate areas of concern.

Cllr Keith Haines, said: “We thought the grounds for it (the application) were a bit spurious, it was on the grounds of security and we didn’t understand where this pressing need came from.

“As it turned out there had been a single comment on the openness of the site in a school inspection report.

“The original design went right at the rear of residents properties on Middlewich Road all the way along the playing fields, which meant they couldn’t get to their boundaries whether it was hedge or fence, to maintain them.

“They have modified that design by moving the fence in a couple of metres, so there is an access strip for residents.

“The important aspect of the school being an iconic building, is from the front, from Crewe Road and they have selected a different design of fence which doesn’t look like a prison.”

The school commissioned an independent study following the Ofsted recommendation and the key finding in the report was that steps should be taken to enclose the ‘traditionally open’ site and limit access.

Having secured financial support from the Education Funding Agency earlier this year, the project is likely to be completed by the end of March.

“The reason that they cracking on is, it’s coming from a central funding source which has a limited window of opportunity, they either get it done now or it doesn’t get done full stop,” added Cllr Haines.

“They took the opportunity and I can’t say I blame them. If the money is there and the way society is going, their logic is if we’ve got the chance we might as well control access to the site.”

The school say following the submission of the amended application, 101 representations were in favour of the plans and only two were against.

Sandbach School director of finance and resources, Debbie Torjussen said: “Those overwhelming majority supporting the application outlined that they believed the measures are necessary to ensure the safety and security of the school.”